Every Wish Would Be Heard
by kerithwyn
Summary: For Lincoln it's another world, full of promise. Post-4x20, with revisions.


**Every Wish Would Be Heard**

Fandom: Fringe

Characters: Lincoln Lee/Alternate Olivia Dunham

Rating: PG-13

Wordcount: ~2,400

Summary: For Lincoln it's another world, full of promise. Post-4x20, with revisions.

Thanks to samjohnsson for beta.

Dedicated to Rainer, for helping me pass through the bitter to reach the sweet. On my own terms, of course.

"Home. A place to belong. Danzig knew I was never much for putting down roots. I never really stayed in the same place too long. He used to joke that if I kept living like that, that one day I would just float off into space. So he gave me this as a reminder that I always had a home. With him, with his family. This, he said, was my tether. - Lincoln Lee, "Everything in Its Right Place"

* * *

It's an easier decision than Lincoln ever would have imagined.

He's not needed. Oh, he'd been _useful_ to Fringe Division, but Olivia and Peter and Walter and Astrid managed without him very well before, and will again. He'd been filling a gap, Lincoln sees now; with Peter back in the world, he's become the all-too-literal fifth wheel.

Lincoln initially makes the offer to stay on the other side and help with the Jones investigation as a genuine gesture of peace between the worlds. More selfishly, it's an opportunity to be somewhere that Olivia isn't, so he doesn't have to see her look at him with that vaguely puzzled expression. She knows him only as a fellow agent now, her sum knowledge of his existence what she's read and memorized off his official dossier and the reports he'd so meticulously filed over the past few months. That hurts on levels both professional and personal.

He keeps hearing his own words to Canaan, replaying on an endless loop in his mind: "You can keep waiting for somebody else to define you, to give you your place in the world, or you can decide..."

Or you can decide to make a home for yourself. That's what Robert had been trying to tell him with the pendant. The fact it's taken him so long to figure that out is a little embarrassing, but Lincoln knows that like most things, self-revelation is obvious in hindsight.

He and Liv work well together. Like he and Olivia did, for a few short months. But Liv isn't Olivia, and Lincoln has absolutely no confusion on that account; after a brief mental adjustment, it's impossible _not_ to see her as her own person and not a mirrored copy of Olivia. She's passionate and strong and dedicated and very much someone Lincoln finds himself interested in, in very short order. That isn't surprising, really. She seems to enjoy working with him as well, despite the stress of the situation.

That's not a reason for his final decision, though, or not a primary reason. Leaving everything he knows for a woman who might or might not be interested in him, that would be insane.

But there are so many amazing things about the other world, he feels like he could spend the rest of his life exploring them all. The differences in history, in culture, in character. It's a world that can use all the help it can get, and Lincoln wants to be part of that effort.

Maybe, all other factors considered, he just wants to live in a universe where the Twin Towers are still standing.

* * *

Saying good-bye is easier than it should be, too. Astrid hugs him, which is sweet, and Olivia and he exchange an understanding nod that should be fraught but isn't. Walter tucks a packet of Red Vines into Lincoln's jacket, in case the other side's version won't suffice. Peter's the most difficult because neither of them have forgotten anything, and all the unspoken possibilities still vibrate between them. But in the end it's a handshake and a smile and the knowledge that some things aren't meant to be. At least in this timeline.

The machine does its thing, building up to an overload without consideration for sentiment. After the flash Lincoln is standing on the other side-his side now, he needs to begin thinking of it that way-with the whole of his worldly possessions: a wallet full of useless cash that he'd forgotten to give to Peter, equally worthless ID cards, pocket lint, and Walter's donated candy.

"We have a good deal of work to do," Secretary Bishop declares (and Lincoln reminds himself never to think of him as "Walternate" again, since the man is now essentially his commanding officer), already striding out of what had been the bridge room toward his office. He pauses and looks back. "Agent Dunham, you'll see to getting Agent Lee settled."

"Yessir," Liv says, and looks at Lincoln sideways. "Still can't believe you're here."

The enormity of what he's done will probably hit him at some point, but at the moment it all feels right. "Went with my gut," Lincoln says, and laughs-a real laugh, probably the first one in weeks-to the surprise on her face.

Liv watches him for a moment, then nods. "We should go by Fringe Division, get you a temporary badge, some cash, stuff like that. We'll set you up with a hotel tonight and start looking for that apartment tomorrow. Charlie and I will take you to dinner tonight, so you don't have to spend your first night here alone." She hesitates a little. "Mind if we make a quick stop first, though?"

"I am _literally_ at your mercy," Lincoln says, and laughs again. He's got a pretty good idea about her intended detour, though, and it's one he wants to make as well.

The D.O.D. hospital is a huge facility, dedicated to healing the often unique injuries and bizarre ailments of Fringe agents and event victims. When Lincoln and Liv drop by, they're told that Captain Lee is undergoing a nanite recovery session, no visitors allowed. "But he's doing fine," the nurse assures them, with the patient, kind tone of a man who's accustomed to dealing with frantic partners and relatives. "He'll probably sleep the rest of the day. Come back tomorrow. I'll let him know you dropped by," he says, with a knowing nod toward Liv and a slightly more puzzled one toward Lincoln.

Liv looks understandably disappointed, but nods and heads back to the car. "I guess we'll need to start figuring out how to explain who I am," Lincoln says on the way, but realizes that it won't be that difficult; the bridge wasn't a secret on this side, and he's already encountered people who understand very well where he's from.

"Not a problem," Liv says absently, mirroring his thoughts.

The formalities at division take longer than either of them had hoped, but by the end of it Lincoln is in possession of an ID badge, a pocketful of legal cash, and a bloodstream swimming with new antivirals. "You'll need a complete workup, but this should hold you for now," the doctor says cheerfully as she hits him with yet another vaccination, thankfully via a jet injector rather than a needle.

He meets up with Liv to wait for Charlie to come back from a call-events are still happening on this side, aside from the world-shaking ones. There's something Lincoln's been meaning to ask her and while they've got a moment, while it's still a day for taking risks and jumping blindly, he goes ahead and does. "You and...Lincoln," he says, still awkward about calling his double by his own name. "You said you two aren't, uh-"

Liv stares at him for a moment, then breaks up giggling. "No, no. Never."

"Why not?" The question bursts out before he can stop it. "You're great together, you trust each other, it's obvious you love him."

"Yeah. Yeah, I do." Liv tilts her head at him, hilarity still dancing in her eyes. "And I should let you hang for awhile on the question. But no, it's really simple: once we get you sorted out and settled in, I'll introduce you to his husband."

"His," Lincoln repeats, and that's as far as he gets before his brain short-circuits. Liv is giggling again and he does his best to wipe the shocked look off his face. It's the "married" more than the "husband" that's really getting him. "He...doesn't wear a ring," he says lamely, just to voice a reaction.

"Fringe agents don't, on the job. Jewelry is kind of a hazard." Liv squints at him. "Uh, things are a little different in your world. That's not gonna be a problem for you, right? Or...maybe you're jealous you didn't have a guy to leave behind?"

Lincoln coughs a little, face flaming. "There hasn't been a guy in a long time. It's not out of the question, but..." he catches her eye. "I've definitely been more _intrigued_ by women lately."

Liv's hair swings as she ducks her head, but Lincoln can see a definite blush. "Oh. Okay, well, that's good to know," she says, and Lincoln smiles.

* * *

Captain Lee recovers in short order from his bullet wound, thanks to this side's advanced nanotech treatments. He shrugs it off like being shot in the chest isn't any kind of concern, but from what Lincoln hears, it was a closer call than Lee wants to admit.

As a reward for his survival, Lee is tapped to fill Colonel Broyles' seat. It's not a promotion he particularly wants, and he's happy to bitch about it to anyone who comes by while he's finishing up the treatments. Once he's cleared for release, though, Lee swings into the role without hesitation.

Lincoln spends some overdue time with him, continuing the conversation they'd started about the way their lives had and hadn't differed. There still aren't that many particular points of divergence, aside from one or two major ones. But it's also a good opportunity to learn a little more about his new partners, one in particular, and Lee is all too willing to gossip. "While we were staking out Jones, Liv said she'd just broke up with someone."

"Her fiancé, Frank." Lee shakes his head. "He's a good guy, really, it was kind of a shame. But that's how a lot of Fringe agents' relationships end: the other person just can't handle the constant danger to their partner. Or worse, the need to keep things secret. There's so much we can't talk about outside of work, it can be stressful."

Lincoln's marriage, by all accounts, is rock-solid. "How do you manage?"

"I can't keep a secret." Lee keeps a straight face for all of five seconds before breaking up. "No, I mean, that's true-_you_ know-but James works at Fringe Division, too. He's on the research side. And yeah, that means two science nerds hooked up and one of these days, we're gonna find a surrogate and make some uber-nerd babies." His words all come out at a fast clip, laced with humor and affection, but Lincoln can see Lee searching his face for a reaction.

"I'd like to meet him," Lincoln tells him truthfully, and Lee grins with happy relief.

"He knows all about you already. He's terribly curious. I keep telling him a threesome is out of the question, unless you...?" -and once more, it's all of five seconds before Lee is cracking up again. "Dammit! I was really hoping to get you with that one."

"Too bad you didn't wait for my answer," Lincoln says with a marginally straighter face, but he can't hold it either.

"But okay, seriously," Lee says after they've both gotten their breath back. "The breakup was really tough on Liv. And I know that if I hadn't been with James before we met, I totally would have gone for her. So...I can guess it's the same for you, and I just wanted to say, go slow." He smirks knowingly. "And good luck."

* * *

There's a lot to keep him busy in his new life, aside from his interest in Liv. His new apartment isn't spacious, but it's in a decent neighborhood and the manager seems pleased to have a Fringe agent in residence. The large lump-sum compensation Lincoln receives from his new employer-the equivalent of moving expenses and signing bonus all in one-cover the first few months' rent, groceries, and a basic replacement wardrobe.

Lee, Charlie, and Liv were all in agreement on that last: the suits had to go. With a certain measure of resignation, Lincoln buys a small pile of durable khakis, stain-resistant undershirts, and comfortable pullovers. The biggest splurge is for a heavy jacket and sturdy boots-the kind, Charlie helpfully explained, that you could wash blood and puke off easily.

It's a sharp reminder of the kind of life he's signed up for. But he knew the job was dangerous when he took it.

The first few weeks involve a crash-course in Fringe Division protocols, everything from learning the symbols to memorizing first-contact vortex procedures. When he's not doing that, he's "bonding" with his new team: Liv and Charlie and Lee move everywhere together, like they're joined at the hips. Part of it, Lincoln sees, is Liv and Charlie fussing over Lee's latest near-death experience. Lee and Charlie are still hovering over Liv, ready with strong shoulders if she has another breakdown over Frank. Charlie, near as Lincoln can tell, is sufficient unto himself and relishes being the steady older-brother figure for both of them.

On one of their outings Lincoln meets Charlie's wife Mona, and Lee's husband James. Mona's...a little odd, a little too weirdly cheerful, but Charlie seems happy and that's all that matters. James, on the other hand, is _absolutely_ the kind of guy Lincoln finds attractive: tall, broad-shouldered and solid, and fearsomely intelligent. Not unlike Peter Bishop, Lincoln realizes with a certain amount of irony, but without Peter's deep-rooted cynicism.

It's more than a little bizarre, thinking about how his life would have been different if he'd ever met James' alternate on the other side. James blinks a lot at meeting him too, but seems to settle on treating Lincoln like Lee's newly discovered twin brother.

Lincoln feels like he's just inherited a whole extended family, and he's already beginning to forget what it felt like to be lonely. He still misses the coffee, but not as much as he'd thought. And Liv...something is definitely starting to happen with Liv.

He doesn't push anything, letting their working partnership and off-hours friendship develop at its own pace. He's rewarded for his patience when Liv corners him after the Thursday night poker game. It's a team tradition, and Lincoln's already learned that Charlie's a shark-though for the moment, he can still use some of the tells he and Lee share to his advantage.

"There are supposed to be thunderstorms this weekend." Liv bites her lip, but goes on. She's a Dunham; she doesn't back down. "Olivia told me to keep looking up for rainbows. Take a ride with me afterward and help me find one?"

"Nothing I'd rather do," Lincoln tells her, and sees his tether to the world in her smile.

{end}

* * *

Title from "The Rainbow Connection," as sung by Kermit T. Frog and none other. Yeah, I went there.

Hey, canon: if you're gonna put an Act Up sticker in Captain Lee's locker, I'm gonna use the implication.

This is a deliberately light, fluffy, and quickly written take on Lincoln/Liv; I know for a true fact that better and longer is being written by others. (Elfin's "Things Shaped in Passing," for one.) This one represents my attempt to make peace with the storyline, and to blow a raspberry at the show writers who decided that Red!Lincoln had to die to make this ship sail.

Tags: fluff, the Act Up sticker was Chekhov's gun.

For much (much) more, see my page at AO3. Link in my profile.


End file.
